Steina and Woody Vasulka
Encyclopedia
Steina Vasulka and Woody Vasulka (born 1937) are pioneers of video art
, having practiced in the genre since its early days in the late 1960s.
Steina was born in Reykjavík
, Iceland
and trained as a classical musician before receiving a scholarship at the Prague Conservatory
in 1959. Woody was born in Brno
, now in the Czech Republic
and trained as an engineer before studying television and film production at the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague
. The couple met in the early 1960s and moved to New York City
in 1965, where they pioneered the showing of video art at the Whitney Museum and founded The Kitchen
in 1971. Since 1980 they have been based in Santa Fe, New Mexico
.
In 2006, a publication Vasulka Lab 1969-2005 was commissioned by Birmingham-based arts organisation VIVID. Fully illustrated Vasulka Lab is an essential document of the Vasulkas' extensive and varied practice. Featuring the Vasulkas in conversation with Don Foresta, essays by Chris Meigh-Andrews and Yasmeen Baig-Clifford, Curator of Vasulka Lab and director of VIVID.
Video art
Video art is a type of art which relies on moving pictures and comprises video and/or audio data. . Video art came into existence during the 1960s and 1970s, is still widely practiced and has given rise to the widespread use of video installations...
, having practiced in the genre since its early days in the late 1960s.
Steina was born in Reykjavík
Reykjavík
Reykjavík is the capital and largest city in Iceland.Its latitude at 64°08' N makes it the world's northernmost capital of a sovereign state. It is located in southwestern Iceland, on the southern shore of Faxaflói Bay...
, Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
and trained as a classical musician before receiving a scholarship at the Prague Conservatory
Prague Conservatory
Prague Conservatory, sometimes also Prague Conservatoire, in Czech Pražská konzervatoř, is a Czech secondary school in Prague dedicated to teaching the arts of music and theater acting.- Instruction :...
in 1959. Woody was born in Brno
Brno
Brno by population and area is the second largest city in the Czech Republic, the largest Moravian city, and the historical capital city of the Margraviate of Moravia. Brno is the administrative centre of the South Moravian Region where it forms a separate district Brno-City District...
, now in the Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
and trained as an engineer before studying television and film production at the Academy of Performing Arts in Prague
Academy of Performing Arts in Prague
The Academy of Performing Arts in Prague is a university level school of music, dance, drama, film, TV and multi-media studies.- Faculties :*Film and TV School - FAMU*Music Faculty - HAMU*Theatre Faculty - DAMU-Notable alumni:...
. The couple met in the early 1960s and moved to New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
in 1965, where they pioneered the showing of video art at the Whitney Museum and founded The Kitchen
The Kitchen
The Kitchen is a non-profit, multi-disciplinary art and performance space located at at 512 West 19th Street, between Tenth and Eleventh Avenues in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan, New York City...
in 1971. Since 1980 they have been based in Santa Fe, New Mexico
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Santa Fe is the capital of the U.S. state of New Mexico. It is the fourth-largest city in the state and is the seat of . Santa Fe had a population of 67,947 in the 2010 census...
.
In 2006, a publication Vasulka Lab 1969-2005 was commissioned by Birmingham-based arts organisation VIVID. Fully illustrated Vasulka Lab is an essential document of the Vasulkas' extensive and varied practice. Featuring the Vasulkas in conversation with Don Foresta, essays by Chris Meigh-Andrews and Yasmeen Baig-Clifford, Curator of Vasulka Lab and director of VIVID.